Nomenclature of parts having critical intricately shaped and precise surfaces continuously grows in modern mechanical engineering because of the rising speeds of machines and intensification of manufacturing processes. This results in a wider use of automatic machines employing three-dimensional cams, templets, dies, moulds, fashioned shafts, globoids and conoids. Since these parts function under high loads, their critical surfaces should preferably be heat treated with subsequent grinding and high-precision forming to ensure wear resistance.
Known in the art is an NC vertical spindle jig grinder (cf. USSR Inventor's Certificate No. 656813, Cl. B 24 B 17/10, 1979), comprising a bed, a compound table traversable on the hed along the X and Y axes, and a column rigidly held to the bed and carrying a wheel dresser and vertical ways supporting a wheelhead.
It should be noted that this prior art grinder is only designed for machining workpieces with their surfaces defined by planar curves. This grinder cannot be used for machining three-dimensional workpieces with double-curvature surfaces.